


You’ll Forget to Count

by friendfics



Category: Promare (2019)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Sexual Content, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:42:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24360775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/friendfics/pseuds/friendfics
Summary: Lio and Galo have been dating for a while now. When Lio tells Galo that he loves him for the first time, Galo reacts a bit differently than he expects.
Relationships: Lio Fotia/Galo Thymos
Comments: 28
Kudos: 274





	You’ll Forget to Count

▽ ▽ ▽

The first time Lio says it, they are sitting on the steps outside the Burning Rescue building after a long day of work. The sun is low in the sky, and everything around them seems soft in the orange light. Lio looks over at Galo, who is prattling on happily about his day and how many houses they’ve repaired so far, and he thinks to himself,  _you’re wonderful_.

So he says it, because being a Mad Burnish has always meant telling the people you love how you care for them before it’s too late. 

“Galo,” Lio starts, interrupting his boyfriend, “I love you.” 

He’s not sure what he’s expecting. One of those signature cheery smiles and a  “ _me too!_ ”, or perhaps a simple kiss. 

Instead, Lio watches as Galo’s eyes go wide as saucers, and a bright red blush appears on his face from the tips of his ears down to his neck. He sits there dumbfounded for several seconds before he seems to jolt out of it. 

“I-I love you too!” Galo practically shouts, jumping up from his seat on the stairs as if standing will make his declaration more impactful. Lio stares up at him, amused, before breaking into laughter.

“Hey!” Galo whines, sitting back down on the steps again, looking like all the energy has been drained out of him just from saying those three words. “Don’t laugh at my confession!”

But Lio can’t stop laughing. He should have known Galo would be as over the top about saying “ _I love you”_ as he is with everything else. Still, that reaction...

“If saying  I love you  surprises you that much, I should do it more often,” he says finally, once he’s caught his breath. Galo turns away, uncharacteristically embarrassed. 

“Hey, don’t hide,” Lio teases, scooting closer so he can gently turn Galo’s face towards his.

As he does so, Lio’s treated to the happiest grin he’s ever seen from Galo. Galo always smiles, but this one is something different. It’s looser, sweeter, more vulnerable. In a moment of fierce protectiveness, Lio thinks that he would rather die than let anyone hurt that smile. 

“You said it twice!” Galo says by way of explanation. 

“What, that I love you?” Lio asks ever so innocently. 

At this, Galo buries his face in Lio’s shoulder. “Are you trying to kill me?” 

“I’ve never seen you like this before,” Lio admits, threading his fingers through Galo’s hair. 

“What do you expect when you’re saying stuff like... like that!” Galo complains. 

“Do you not like it?” 

“Of course I like it!” Galo replies, sounding overwhelmed. “Maybe too much.” 

“Then I’ll say it whenever you want.”

“Lio!”

▽ ▽ ▽ 

A week later and they’re on the couch, limbs interlocked and stomachs pressed together. Lio is laying on top of Galo, kissing him softly as Galo runs his hands gently down his back. 

Fire gathers in Lio’s stomach, but it’s not the kind asking him to burn wildly. It’s asking him to flicker, to keep this quiet moment burning low and bright. 

“Lio...” Galo mutters, pulling him even closer. Their hips press against each other firmly, in a gentle expression of desire. 

At times like these, Galo’s brain often seems to short circuit. His endless talking goes quiet, and his breath goes ragged. Lio loves this about him. 

He places a kiss on the corner of Galo’s mouth, and delights in the smile that he gets in return.

Lio can’t help himself. 

“I love you,” he whispers, and is both surprised and enraptured by the way Galo seems to shiver at the words, at how his eyes flutter shut and his lips part in a small gasp. 

“You really...” Lio starts, feeling flattered for some reason. “Wow.”

It seems as though he’s found the firefighter’s weak spot. 

▽ ▽ ▽ 

From that point on, Lio starts saying it more often; Galo’s reaction never fails to impress, with how flustered he gets. It’s only later that he starts to get curious about it.

They’re standing in their shared apartment’s kitchen, and Galo is pouring a cup of coffee for each of them, humming the theme song to some television show. 

“You’re such a dork,” Lio tells him affectionately. 

“But you’re dating me anyway!” Galo shoots back with a cheesy grin.

“Yeah,” Lio admits, and decides that he’d like to see that blush one more time. “I am, aren’t I? Well, I can’t help loving you.”

Just as he expected, Galo jumps in surprise. This time, however, there’s a crash and a shattering sound as the coffee cup in Galo’s hand slips out of his grasp. 

“Ah, sorry!” Galo exclaims, startled. He looks more embarrassed than ever, and Lio quickly jumps up to help him, concerned.

“No, that was on me, I knew you were holding coffee. None of it got on you, right? That could burn,” Lio fusses, biting his lip as he looks over Galo’s hands for any of the cup’s broken shards.

“No, I’m good. Can’t say the same for the table, though,” Galo sighs, watching as the coffee continued to drip onto the floor from where it had landed on the kitchen countertop. 

“It’s fine. Why don’t you grab a broom for these shards and I’ll clean up the mess with some paper towels?” Lio instructs, and Galo nods, wandering off to find said cleaning supplies.

Watching Galo shuffle awkwardly out of the kitchen, Lio wonders.

▽ ▽ ▽ 

“Galo, I’m going to ask you something,” Lio says that night, when they’re just about to fall asleep. “Don’t feel pressured to respond.” From his side of the bed—the one closest to the door, it makes him feel safer— he can faintly make out his boyfriend’s face in the dim light. 

“Alright! What’s up?” Galo replies, and Lio can’t see his smile but he can hear it in his voice.

“Why are you always so surprised when I say that I love you?” He ventures. It’s been on his mind ever since the coffee incident, that perhaps there’s more to this than Galo simply being flustered. For a moment, he doesn’t think he’ll get an answer. But Galo has never been the type to hide things, even when it’s hard.

“It’s kind of embarrassing,” he says, almost bashful. Lio snorts at that.

“You’re always embarrassing. I like that about you,” he answers. 

“Well... The last time I heard someone say I love you, it was my mom,” Galo admits quietly, not looking at Lio. ”When Kray... when the fire came, she had just tucked me into bed. That was the last thing I heard from her, and no one ever said it to me again after that.”

_ I’ve been saying his mother’s last words,  _ Lio realizes.

They lay together in silence for a bit, before Lio collects himself enough to place a hand gently on Galo’s shoulder.

“That’s not embarrassing, Galo,” Lio tells him, “that’s sad.”

“You don’t think it’s weird?” Galo asks, “I mean, you’re my boyfriend, and when you say... when you say I love you, it’s totally different. Isn’t it a weird connection to make in my head?”

“You’re overthinking it. That’s unlike you,” Lio notes, flicking Galo on the forehead. 

Galo laughs at that.

“It’s unfair,” he adds, “that you haven’t had someone to tell you they love you all these years.” 

“You’ve told me. You’ve told me eleven times so far,” Galo protests, and Lio’s heart burns. 

“You’ve been counting?” He chokes out, feeling strangely like he might cry. 

“Why do you sound sad?” Galo frowns, suddenly worried. He sits up in bed, shifting the covers, and leans over to look closely at Lio. “Are you okay?”

“You idiot,” Lio mutters, covering his face with his arms. “You’re too good.”

“I don’t understand what you’re saying,” Galo worries, trying to pry Lio’s arms away from his face. 

Lio lets him, and Galo places a single kiss on his forehead. 

“You don’t need to be upset,” he says. “It was a long time ago.”

“I’m not upset. I’m just thinking I’ll have to keep telling you that I love you,” Lio explains, “so many times you’ll loose track.”

He can’t see it in the dark, but Lio knows Galo is still blushing.

▽ ▽ ▽ 

They’re in bed once more, but there’s nothing between them this time. 

“Lio, I—“ Galo breathes out heavily, voice drowned in emotions. 

“Don’t worry,” Lio reassures him, sucking gently on his neck. “We’ll get there.”

“I love you,” Galo whimpers. 

“I love you, too. I love you more than anything,” he breathes, relishing in the way Galo’s back arches upward at the words. “You’re so wonderful, do you know that? You’re so good.”

He continues to move, soft and sweet. 

“I love you,” Lio declares once more.

Galo forgets to count.


End file.
